Getting Ready

So here I am at the in the airport, waiting for a shuttle to take me to the boat. I'm feeling a cocktail of anxiousness, nervousness at excitement because I've been kept in the dark about most of what the job will entail. I don't really know what to expect at all, I might be performing today. All I was really told was that I'd be playing in the showband, my sight reading needs to be strong, and I'll need a suit and an instrument to play.

Because I got hired through an agent, I haven't had much contact with the line's PR department. The only time I directly heard from them was when I got my plane ticket, everything else has been filtered through my agent. As far as a recommended packing list or along those lines, I haven't really heard anything from anyone. So I found this website that had some resources for cruise musicians that has been very helpful while getting ready to ship out.

As far as packing is concerned, I started with the basics: clothes, toiletries, some books, all the stuff you would pack if you were going on vacation. But what I was really wanted to know were the things that would really make my experience as an employee easier. A recommendation I found all over the web was to get a folding bike. It sounded great to me, I love seeing new places by bike and rentals in my ports of call are very over-priced. So I browsed craigslist until I found a cheap one in good condition and pounced on it. This bike is awesome. It's a little old with some cosmetic damage but rides great, 5 speeds and it folds down to the size of a suitcase. I'll post a picture once it gets shipped down to me. 

I also got a camera that I'm very happy with. Nothing too crazy, just a sleek canon point-and-shoot, but it should make for a much more interesting blog once I get some shots. Unfortunately, I can't get too candid with it because I'm trying to keep this blog anonymous, but we'll see what I can get away with.

I've been told that life as a musician involves a lot of free time, so I've packed a bunch of things to entertain myself with. Along with the 10 or so paperbacks I stuffed into my bags, I brought my laptop freshly loaded up with a bunch of games from the steam christmas sale, a copy of Settlers of Catan that I can hopefully find some people to play with, an ukulele to shed with, and a hard drive full of TV shows I've been meaning to watch. Hopefully all of that will keep me busy while I'm not out exploring ports.

So, any suggestions with other ways to entertain myself would me much appreciated. Any advice from seasoned cruise passengers would also be nice.